Mysuru: The Technical Committee of the Institution of Engineers (India), Mysuru Local Centre, which was formed to assess the damage to the Chamundi Hill road connecting the View Point and the Nandi Statue, has advised the District Administration to abandon the road to vehicular traffic as there is another motorable road to the Nandi Statue.
They said that instead of spending on repairing the damaged 1.4-kilometer road, it might be converted into a walking trail with a good view of Mysuru City at a minimal cost.
The Committee members felt that the trekking path, in addition to the existing walking route through the steps, would be a viable option for walkers, and submitted their suggestions to Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Dr. Bagadi Gautham at his office on Wednesday December 1.
Dr. S. G. Vombatkere (Major General Retired), M. Lakshmana, B. S. Prabhakara, H. S. Suresh Babu, H. Kishore Chandra, and M. K. Nanjaiah, together with PWD officials, visited Chamundi Hill on November 19 to assess the extent of damage and make scientific and feasible recommendations.
The Technical Committee’s first recommendation is to repair the connecting road at a cost of Rs. 30 crore. However, given the growing threat of climate change-related extreme events that cause saturation and erosion, there is little guarantee it will continue to provide safe motorable roads. The second option is to close the linking road to vehicular traffic and use it as trek path. In this way, the money can be saved to improve and strengthen the main road.
